Hors d'oeuvres - the latest, most interesting news

This part of our website has been prepared to extend our Railvolution news service. Its objective is to offer you snippets of the latest, most interesting news, accompanied by photos. On one hand this will let you to have a sneak preview of what the forthcoming number of Railvolution will contain. On the other, it will enable our editorial staff to provide you with information that is at their fingertips – and why waste exciting pieces of news while waiting until we have the printed version of the magazine ready for distribution? What is more, on the website pages we are in a position to publish photos for which there will be insufficient space in the printed magazine!

Please bear in mind that it is not our intention to 'digitalise' Railvolution! The printed magazine will still continue, with its full range of articles and news items. But we hope that you enjoy this new offering, and that it will stimulate your interest in our unique publication.

First Rhein-Ruhr-Express Desiro HC EMUs Presented

On 12 July 2017 at the Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre, Siemens presented to the media the first three Desiro HC prototype EMUs destined for RRX services. While 462 002 and 003 were shown in one of the test halls, 001 made a series of demonstration runs round the test circuit. The trains are scheduled to enter service in late 2018.

A GYSEV Ventus In Bratislava

05 Sep 2016 19:59

Following a presentation run to the Burgenland district of Austria on 4 September 2016, on the morning of the 5th GYSEV/Raaberbahn put its new Desiro ML EMUs into regular service. These trains have been brand-named Ventus (Latin for Wind). One of the first commercial services diagrammed for these trains was REX 7605 from Deutschkreutz to Bratislava-Petržalka. This photo shows 4744 304, the last of the GYSEV batch, at the latter station on 5 September 2016.

First SWT Desiro City Cars On Test

On 3 March 2016 the first cars for the future five-car Desiro City Class 707 EMUs, of which 30 are on order for South West Trains’ Windsor to London Waterloo services, arrived at the Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre. These photos show the cars hauled by Eurorunner PCW7 (ER20-2007).

ÖBB’s cityjet Enters Service

17 Dec 2015 20:36

At the start of the 2016 timetable, ÖBB put its first two cityjet EMUs into service on S80 Unter Purkersdorf - Hütteldorf - Wien Hbf. - Hirschstetten. 4746 001 was put into service here early on the morning of 13 December 2015, while 4746 002 spent that day on other services, taking it from Wien to Linz. From Linz it travelled to three other stations, to be presented there. The train’s first duty was on REX 1606 from Wien Westbf. to Sankt Pölten. This photo was taken at Wien Westbf. This was an exceptional itinerary undertaken by the train, since the Class 4746s are not envisaged to use Wien Westbahnhof on their regular diagrams.

Thameslink's Three Bridges Depot Inaugurated

The inauguration celebrations took place on 15 October 2015. The new purpose-built Three Bridges depot, situated on the London to Brighton main line, some 30 km south of central London, is part of a 400 million EUR investment project by Siemens, this also involving the construction of another depot at Hornsey in the inner northern suburbs of the capital, on the East Coast Main Line. Hornsey depot is scheduled for completion in July 2016. Both depots are being provided essentially for the maintenance of the fleet of new Class 700 Desiro City Thameslink EMUs.
The first photo shows the main maintenance hall. The train washing, equipment and underframe cleaning facilities are situated on the left, not visible in the photo, on the other side of the London to Brighton main line. The second photo was taken inside the principal maintenance hall, with Desiro City Thameslink EMUs 700107 and 700106, these being the only ones so far delivered to Britain. In the third photo (from left to right) can be seen Andy Pitt, the Executive Chairman of Cross-London Trains (XLT, owner of trains), the Rt. Hon. Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport, Jochen Eickholt, Siemens Mobility Division's CEO, Juergen Maier, Siemens UK's new UK Chief Executive, and Charles Horton, the CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway. All are about to cut the ribbon to declare Three Bridges depot open for business.

A Visit To Krefeld And PCW

On 20 and 21 April 2015 Siemens organised a press conference prior to the UITP World Congress to be held between 8 and 10 June in Milano. The main themes of the conference were digitalisation, automation and electrification, which are at the heart of Siemens’s business strategy. A new electric bus project was also mentioned, this involving development of a high-power charger concept for use during operation and at depots. Siemens also presented the company's predictive and prescriptive maintenance strategy, which in various instances ensures over 99 % train fleet availability.

Part of the programme was a visit to the Krefeld factory. Here guests were invited to see the Desiro City EMUs being built for Thameslink. On the second day a tour to the PCW (Prüf- und Validationcenter Wegberg-Wildenrath) was provided. Here a Thamselink train was provided for a trip round the test circuit. Participants were also given an opportunity to ride one of the Avenio trams which has been built for the no-catenary network in Doha, Qatar. They are fitted with Sitras HES hybrid energy storage system, which combines powerful double-layer capacitors and traction batteries.

The first photo shows Thameslink's 700 107 at the Krefeld works, the second and third photos show construction of Class 700 bodyshell sidewalls and a completed bodyshell. The fourth photo was taken on the 21st at the PCW, with 700 101 on the large test circuit. The test programme on the PCW for the Thameslink Desiro City family started in March 2014 and is to be completed in July 2015. Delivery of the first Desiro City to Great Britain is scheduled for August and it is to be handed over in December 2015, with the final, 115th train scheduled for handing over in June 2018.

Subsequent photos show a Doha Avenio which was used as a static exhibit, including two interior views. The final photo shows another Doha Avenio on the small test circuit. Clearly visible is that the tram operates without contact to overhead wire. The pantographs are only raised in the tram stops to enable Sitras HES charging. 19 Avenios are on order, the first scheduled to arrive in Doha in June 2015.

Desiro City Mock-Up Presented

On 28 January 2014 a full-size mock-up of the Desiro City Class 700 EMU, designed for Thameslink was presented to the public at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London’s Docklands. The mock-up comprised one end car and one intermediate car, with both first and second class seating accommodation, and including an area for handicapped passengers, WC cubicle of standard size and wheelchair-accessible one.